


Out of Season

by anesor



Series: Not So Far, Far Away [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Light Angst, holiday story, lineage feels, post ROTS-AU, santa caps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 19:49:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17065991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anesor/pseuds/anesor
Summary: The war with the Sith has been over for months and maybe it is time for a small spring party... that just happens to be during Yule.





	Out of Season

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little side story that happens during one of the early chapters of "Cold on the Ramparts." If you haven't read that series that started with a cracky idea, parts may not make sense.

**A COTR sidestory**

Vora stared out at the sleek speeders as they flew in more or less in orderly lanes through the spring Coruscanti sky. A pad in her hands was ignored when she felt anxious for no particular reason. Walking over to stand by the large windows in the hall, the Knight felt like a Terran hick again. She’d been so hectically busy for the last years, she practically hadn’t looked up from whatever she was studying unless she was tagging along on a mission, trying to look competent.

But that war, that personal mission was over, and now she had time to realize how _alien_ the world she arrived in was. On a personal level they were all just people with different bodies, but manners were so much more tricky when there were different physiologies to be careful about. Lekku and horns still weirded her out once in a while. She really didn’t want everyone to know how primitive her home world was with only one race.

She _wanted_ to be a credit to her teachers.

This cosmopolitan place was intimidating, even now that she was at least somewhat competent in life skills here. She loved watching crowded Coruscant with its soaring, sleek skyscrapers, where she could feel that life really _was_ more three-dimensional all around her.

Vora still felt anxious, looking at the busy cityscape. This place, and her fragile place in it, often encouraged her anxiety. But this time _felt_ different.

Nor did it feel like any immediate threat. She’d had no dreams she remembered, nor had the boy wonder stopped hovering over his barely-with-a-baby-bump wife to warn anyone.

It was more something she had forgotten. Like time was passing.

She kept worrying at the elusive memory and getting annoyed at her subconscious as she gazed down at a landing platform, far, far above the mythical ground level. Seeing the speeders zip down to land and take off almost seemed like FX. All she needed was to see a frantic Tim Allen Santa and Bernard land with a whirl of snow among the towers.

Now a string of reindeer and a sleigh would certainly get attention from the jaded, wouldn’t it?

From this distance, there was no way she could identify arrivals or departures by sight. This was not too far to identify Obi-Wan in the Force, though. He would not be making a flashy landing, he was too aware of decorum and his responsibility to be an exemplar of how a Jedi Master should be. She was more attached to his… unconventional, even somewhat hidden maverick side. The not yet white hair, steady presence, and that dangerous smile that could promise secrets was a cherry on top on top of his company.

When things were good between them she couldn’t imagine any other as a beau, but he kept drifting away into a distance that wasn’t as required for Jedi any more. She missed the closeness they had during the immediate and chaotic aftermath of the death of Sidious.

Vora sighed as she looked at her own reflection. She was a barbaric remedial student who got lucky. A haircut wasn’t enough to make her a looker like most of the people she’d met here. Charm wasn’t her thing either, she could manage earnest. Her friends didn’t mind she was a half-assed Knight. The darkside interventions left her with a fading sense of accomplishment, and Vora dreaded being assigned to a solo mission at some point. She’d trip and chop her own leg off like a log of firewood.

That brought a roaring fire to mind: cold milk and warm cookies with boughs of evergreen roping above the mantle with socks hanging and waiting to be filled.

_That felt right._

That came with an immediate yen for her Mom’s best cookies and favorite fruit cake.

A few words appeared in her train of thought… _Finally got your attention, dummy!_

Her id was rude, even in the privacy of her own thoughts.

Now with something to check and verify, Vora hurried back to her quarters and booted her old laptop. The DVD was empty now, the problem ones had been converted to 3D months and months ago. She didn’t want that. She wanted something much more basic.

What _day_ was it on Earth?

Booting seemed to take forever, but it showed a little over three years after she left. It might be off a few days, her OS was bitching it could not make contact over the net to verify the time and date. She lost a few days before an alternate power source was cobbled, but it _was_ December.

It was the holidays.

Vora loved the holidays, and almost everything about them from cookies to lit neighborhoods to chasing around for a perfect gift to old movies that ran throughout the month. She missed all of it so badly right now, as she hadn’t even remembered to grab anything on her way out, not even a single ornament her mother made when Vora was a kid.

Well, she’d decided long ago to ignore the Prime Directive as being arrogant.

What small thing would make her feel better? It’s not like missing a secularized-religious holiday had crippled her, and Jedi celebrated large and small things, no matter how they looked.

Stay simple. Fun. Skip any dogma… _hmm._

There were some holidays that passed outside the Temple since her arrival, but Vora wasn’t sure if Jedi were _allowed_ to party, or just _didn’t_ during a war. That war seemed to be in recess at the moment, the rapid collapse of the proto-empire following the death of Sidious. She suspected citizens weren’t sure if they should grieve the death of the Chancellor of so many years or celebrate that and the sudden cease fire. Little was coming out of seceded worlds, neutral or enemy, after the Sith’s manipulations and plots were exposed. She didn’t remember seeing signs of any major holiday within the Temple either.

Too bad.

She sent a query to the Archive catalog AI about holiday customs. Then she decided she needed a partner to help with set up. She was not going to bother any of the Masters, plausible deniability and all that.

Settling on a meditation mat to reflect, Vora decided there was only one candidate left in the Lineage: Ahsoka. She knew far more customs, more than Anakin actually, and as the two newest they could claim newb ignorance.

Explaining the secular holiday and its many contemporary and older customs took hours with a lot of giggling, but the other new Knight’s knowledge of how and where to get materials was priceless. Lacking Wally-world to fill in on missing accessories, Vora decided to limit a party to food, music, and a few simple decorations.

Oh, Vora adapted a few key foods like cookies and eggnog, and the great food search for similar items took several days. The other Knight did most of the sweet-talking of the cafeteria for equivalents, with liberal invoking the their Masters’ names, which the still-teen really enjoyed. Music would be easier: a few dozen Earth songs, plus what Ahsoka added to the mix.

Decorations would be simple: evergreen boughs with red bows- or semblances, a holoprojected roaring fireplace… and Santa caps.

That was might be a sticking point, but robes were really not seasonal and her stipend would not stretch to include a batch of ugly-sweaters for the guest list. Hats she could manage, she’d eventually ordered a bunch in a wide variety of sizes. The quartermaster droid was persuaded to make one on Yoda’s size with a silver pom-pom instead of white. It had to be a couple dozen at least, as their project had gotten more attention than the elves expected.

_Master Vos stopped her in the hallway. “I hear you are planning a party, but without Obi-Wan.”_

_Vora’s eyes got big. “Well, he’s not really involved. It’s a solstice festival on my homeworld, mostly about rebirth, new hopes, and indulging children. And celebrating the people we have.”_

“ _I would like to see his face when he discovers its location,” Vos smirked._

Vora had not thought the other Council members would take an interest in a cozy event mostly for their lineage, but Ahsoka gleefully reported on others’ interest in the foods she was gathering.

She reported quantities and variety far larger than the Lineage could eat. Their next prep session had an unfamiliar presence at the door of the apartment: Madame Nu demanding cultural reporting, along with a recording droid. On the good side, she knew of an admirable fireplace to display for the staging.

The boughs they made were artificial greenish fluff, and the bows gave her a homesick pang when they finished.

Obi-Wan arrived in their apartment, a frown on his face when he saw their work. “ _What_ is going on?”

Vora flushed, she’d sort of hoped to surprise him, as silly as it seemed. “A little party seems to be getting more attention than I expected. Master Vos said something.” The woman waved at the old librarian as an add-on to the issue.

“When were you planning to tell me?” He rubbed his eyebrows, still looking tired from the battle months ago.

“I wasn’t planning to until it started. _Everyone_ needs more good surprises around here. It wasn’t supposed to be that big a deal.”

Madame Nu snorted, but Ahsoka started talking to her about the bows and living tree symbolism in boughs and legends of mistletoe plants.

Master Kenobi looked doubtful to Vora. Worse, his arms were crossed and all she could feel from him was cold disapproval. Again. Without explanation, leaving her isolated instead of a partner. He stepped aside to talk to Nu, so Vora took a deep breath to calm down. Obi-Wan was terrible at recreation, so having a party here was pretty non-negotiable. It was about the only way to make sure he had to attend.

_Now_ he had some idea what was coming in a couple days.

The fun had drained away, and she felt alone again. Vora didn’t even pretend to look at the watch she didn’t wear, her holiday depression just arrived.

Right on schedule

Invites went out to the Lineage, but now Vora was mostly going through the final motions until it was time. After they finished with the food and drinks, Ahsoka danced around the room and snitched some cookies and blue nog.

Vora had to smile at that. That was a _normal_ thing,

Others arrived, Anakin came home with Padmé as well as Yoda, and Obi-Wan trailing to his own rooms. Even Dooku arrived when she hadn’t expected him to be at all social. Padmé only smiled when given the cap on seeing the Knights wearing theirs.

A capped Anakin grinned manically at something so frivolous in the other Masters’ hands.

He wasn’t the only one amused. Master Yoda’s ears shifted as he smiled like someone far younger when he put on his cap with the silver tip. “Fits well this does. Bright and cheerful, I find it.”

“Really?” Dooku sounded offended, holding a cap like he needed a pooper-scooper. “Those lack any decorum for the Jedi Masters, at least.”

Obi-Wan had been about to say something by the look in his eyes, but one look at the old Sith and he stopped.

“Padawan...” Yoda didn’t say anything else, but his look of disappointment in the old human was clear.

Ahsoka grinned like a loon at this as a Goodman version of the Sugarplum fairy theme played. She turned to Padmé and asked something quiet.

Ben took Vora’s arm and pulled her toward one of the bedrooms, his weariness clear in the Force. “Vora, a party is not a problem. The concern I have is with _your_ decorum as a new Knight.”

Vora’s sadness deepened. She’d had vague hopes of some romantic time for just them, but he was so gun shy about relationship stuff that this group event seemed safer with the buffering presence of others. At the very least she wanted Obi-Wan, everyone actually, to have a pleasant evening and a fresh reason to smile. The flat, disapproving look on his face was close to tipping her over into anger.

No, _it had._

If he had to be a sourpuss, he could have left for the Archives or some meditation room. The party had been partly to cheer him up, but it had been for her, too. A little piece of home to share.

That hope seemed so far away now.

The Jedi Master bristled with irritation as they both glared at each other.

Clenching her teeth, she carefully spoke. “I’m sorry a few decorations and silly hats are that offensive to your decorum. I’ll dispose of it all.”

The music changed to one Vora brought, and she heard John William’s “Cantina” piece from back in the day. She heard a burst of laughter from the main room and some sort of laughing challenge.

That sounded like Mace Windu. He had _not_ been on the invite list.

Obi-Wan made a face.

She _had_ to get out of here or she would lose her temper and control of her tongue. With a muttered excuse, she moved to return to the party, a party she really didn’t give a damn about now.

She could bury it all and be cold too.

Obi-Wan caught her arm again, and paused, like he didn’t know what to say. Finally he said, “You don’t have to dispose of it… I- The Chancellor needs diplomatic packets delivered. Would you like to go on a simple mission with me? Alderaan is in winter, and-”

Vora’s confusion was more than clear.

Now the Master appeared confused. “You weren’t angling for the mission assignment? With those winter hats and the fireplace? I cannot allow the appearance of favoritism.”

“No? I _don’t_ care about promotion. I don’t really have time for games like that.”

“ _Oh._ Many Knights angle for missions and specific assignments right after promotions. Some are very blatant.”

Vora just glared at him. _She_ wasn’t interested in that kind of gung-ho; _she_ already felt over-promoted. “I got through enough blizzards as a kid with power losses, short rations, and hand shoveling a ton of snow. I don’t _need_ to seek that out. That’s also assuming I even _knew_ about some kriffin’ mission.”

Obi-Wan studied her, his presence smoothing out and getting warmer. “Would you _like_ to come? That fireplace holo is from the Royal Palace, and I _would_ appreciate your company.”

“I would too.” Vora grinned in relief as he relaxed back into being her Ben.

“Shall we rejoin the others, my dear?” he offered, taking her hand and kissing it briefly. “Your punch must be effective by the growing noise level and additional voices.”

Vora pulled him close to seize a kiss. “Don’t need any punch or mistletoe.”

**Author's Note:**

> Star Wars and its characters are the property of Lucas and Disney. No infringement is intended and I make no profit from writing it.
> 
> This would be Vora's third Christmas away from Earth, and the first time she's had enough free time to really notice. For COTR, it takes place shortly before the treaty/PR mission to the Separatist world of Kaller. And Palpatine is really, really dead- by the Team. Just to be clear they have a good reason to celebrate. Reviews are treasured. Review any story you read, it is the _best_ thank you that you can give the writers who post here.


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